LG Migo - The Cellphone For Kids

LG Migo by VerizonThe little Migo by LG is the most recent addition to the Verizon Wireless family destined to top its depth chart. It’s the talented rookie with nothing but promise.

Let’s get to the best parts of this product right away. The phone is free with your wireless plan, your kids will always be a phone call away and you can have a text message alert sent to you when your child gets out of school or basketball practice. Can a parent ask for anything better in a phone?

Geared for 8-12 year old children, this new device has green skin, stubby antennae, a 911 speed dial button and is built small enough for those little hands to get a hold of. This great little phone reminds me of those Shrek movies from a few years ago, sans the donkey and the Scottish accent.

However, the appearance of the Migo is only the start of its genius. In fact, Verizon knows that the parents of 8 -12 year olds are going to be drawn to the device more so than their kids.

There are a few reasons for this. Combining basic phone options with some high tech GPS and text messaging, Verizon has championed ease of use and peace of mind with the new LG. The Migo falls under the Verizon Chaperone service that can alert parents when their child leaves a designated area.

Essentially, parents set up “safe zones” for their child and receive a text message if he or she leaves that zone – be it school or a friend’s house. This assures parents that their children are safe and can act as a deterrent to children who think they can sneak off without their parents knowing. I’m not a parent, but this is an added bonus of being in the 21st century.

Let’s face it, other attempts to enlist children into the enormous cadre of wireless users have fallen relatively short of the mark. Most parents assume that the phone’s features will be abused by their children or that they aren’t old enough for the responsibility yet. Verizon and LG were smart to design a phone that would take these concerns away from parents immediately. The dial pad has only four buttons, each programmable by a parent to call them, a spouse or other relative in case the child needs a ride, is in trouble or maybe just wants to talk.

Migo from the Left In the center of the phone is the 911 emergency key, so children are aware that help is only a button away. We all know you’re going to worry about your kid. There’ll be times when wires are crossed and you might be doing something absentmindedly and forget you needed to be somewhere. A traffic jam. A long line. Anything can happen in the course of a day. With the Migo, your kid can call whenever they need you, and you can do the same to give them updates or make them feel at ease if you are running late.

Not to sound callous, but Verizon figured out that assuring families of their own safety equals more sales. This is also great marketing for Verizon. Until now, most of you out there thought that giving your pre-adolescent child a cell phone before you bought them a mountain bike was a terrible idea (didn’t you?). A cell phone, the logic goes, is a rite of passage nowadays. When I was a kid, it was a pocket knife. Now, parents bestow responsibility by granting children access to call others anytime, anywhere.

With the Migo, parents are going to start thinking of a cell phone as a device they can use to assure themselves of their child’s safety. Verizon and LG have taken a product you were averse to buying for kids, pared it down into a simple, easy to use format, allowed you track the location of your child, and threw it out there for free. For cell phone companies, the biggest market share will go to the company that can make the coolest looking phone and sell it successfully to the under 12 demographic. With the Migo, we’re seeing the advent of a race to the top.

Migo w/ClipTo me, this device is the best so far, but I’ve also got a soft spot for it. The adorable color and the design for the little hands of a child aside, it’s the first phone that I’ve heard of to be inclusive of all children’s needs. I’ll have said enough when you read the next line.

The Migo is hearing aid compatible.

I know it’s not saving humanity, but it is making a difference for children who need a little extra help. That’s enough to get my endorsement. Sure, other phones have the same compatibility, but when a company recognizes the special needs of some children, while broadly marketing the same product to the general public, it’s win-win for everyone.

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